Fire escape



March 8, 1927.

J. w. WETZEL I FIRE ESCAPE Fil ed April 21, 1926 I 1 an? %%ZZ,

.7 By Q /wwa Htzorney Patented Mar. 8, 1927.

UNITED STATES JOHN W. WETZEL, 0F ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

FIRE nscarn.

Application filed April 21, 1926. Serial No. 103,535.

This invention relates to a fire escape comprising a novel form offlexible ladder which is normally arranged within a special casingconstructed to be anchored to the wall of a building directly beneath awindow in order that ready access may be had to the ladder to permit theoccupants of the building to escape during a fire.

()ne of the primary objects resides in the provision of a laddercontaining casing that is so constructed that the same willautomatically swing to open position when the lid thereof is raised andat the same time permit the ladder to drop to fully ex tended position.

Other objects will become apparent as the nature of the invention isbetter understood, the same comprising the novel form, combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described. shown in theaccompanying drawing and claimed.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a front elevation of a fire escapeconstructed in accordance with the present invention, the same beingshown in position for use.

Figure 2 is a view disclosing the casing above referred to in closedposition and within which is mounted said folding ladder, and

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken through the fire escape asillustrated in Figure 2.

Now having particular reference to the drawing my novel fire escapecomprises a sheet metal receptacle that includes a back wall 5 that isadapted to be anchored to the Wall of a building A directly beneath awindow B thereof. Hingedly secured to the opposite vertical edges ofsaid back wall are the side walls 66 of the casing that are cut as shownat 7 for receiving the outer sill C of the window frame, the length ofsaid walls being such that the upper edges thereof will engage flushwith the edge of the sill. At the forward edges of the side walls thematerial comprising the same is bent inwardly at right angles in orderto provide the front walls 8-8 of the casing; the edge of one wallsection is bent into right angular form as shown in Fig. 3.

Moreover, a strip of metal 9 is secured to this section adjacent thebent edge to allow the complemental edge of the other front wall sectionto fit between the strip and the bent portion as illustrated plainly inFig. 3.

Hingedly secured to the lower edge of the back wall 5 is a bottom wall10, the side and front edges of which are adapted to rest upon flanges11 formed at the lower edges of the side and front walls of the casingto support the bottom wall in horizontal position when the side andfront walls are closed as disclosed in Figures 2 and 3.

Anchored to the front side of the back wall 5 adjacent the upper endthereof is a strip of spring steel 12, the ends of which extend beyondthe edges of the wall and are curved slightly forwardly for frictionalengagement with the inner sides of the walls 6-G for normally forcingthe same outwardly to the position shown in Figure 1. The casing furtherembodies a slip type lid 13 for arrangement over the upper open end ofthe casing when all of the walls have been moved to closed position, andfor maintaining the side walls closed against the action of the spring12. I

Extending forwardly from the rear wall 5 of the casing at the upper endthereof is a bail like. horizontally arranged member 14 to the side legsof which are connected depending metallic arms 1515 to which isconnected one end of a conventional form of folding ladder 16 which whenin folded condition is adapted for storage within the casing but whichwill drop to the open position of Figure 1 when the casing is open, itbeing clearly understood that by removing the lid 13, the casing willimmediately move to open position and the ladder under its own weightwill drop to the extended position in Figure 1.

Minor changes may be made in the invention without affecting the spiritand scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 2- 1. In a fire escape of the classdescribed, a foldable ladder and a casing therefor, said casingcomprising a back wall adapted to be rigidly secured to a part of a.building, combined side and front walls hingedly connected to the backwall, a bottom hingedly connected to said back wall, means on the sideand front walls for supporting said bottom in casing-forming relation,and a removable cover having a marginal flan e adapted to embrace theside and front we s for maintaining all of the walls of the cas ing inladder enclosing position.

adapted to embrace the side and front Walls for maintaining all of theWalls of the easing inladder enclosing position, said ladder beingconnected to said back wall, and a flat spring connected to said backWall and having its end portions engaging: said side Walls, whereby Whenthe cover is removed, said side Walls will be forced outwardly and awayfrom each other to allow the casing; to open and to permit the ladder todrop down to operative position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN 1V. l VETZEL.

